History in the news

A glance through history in the news this week: from spoons to dinosaurs to Santa, it's a week for discoveries. Historic sites from around the world come under scrutiny; a Cold War bunker and a British stately home make headlines. Plus, news from Egypt and Rome ensure ancient history is far from forgotten.

The discovery of the fossilised bones of a carnivorous dinosaur paves the way to early evolution and global migration explanations.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/dinosaur-fossil-fills-gaps-in-evolutionary-knowledge-1838190.html

Fears grow over the disappearance of thousands of historic sites in China.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/14/china-historic-sites-survey

France hands over five ancient frescoes to Egypt after ownership dispute.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8412762.stm

Devonshire stolen spoons valued at £20,000 are discovered in London over four months after their theft.
http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Barnstaple-s-stolen-spoons-London/article-1620209-detail/article.html

Historians claim to have found the final resting place of Father Christmas.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/6808138/Father-Christmas-buried-in-Ireland.html

Historic skills are recycled as highway engineers are taught to build bridges in the style of Ancient Rome.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/8410503.stm

Germany donates £50 million towards the preservation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/6833049/Germany-donates-50m-to-Auschwitz.html

A German Cold War bunker is put on the market, secret tunnels included.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8407000.stm

One of Britain’s finest stately homes is saved for the public by the National Trust.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8417364.stm

The BBC signs agreements with the British Library and National Archive in hopes to widen public access to historical documents.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8408818.stm